By Stephanie Zimmerman, RN, MSN Dear Healthcare Providers, Although professionally, I am a former pediatric oncology nurse practitioner, I write this letter as an individual who lives with the long-lasting impact of late effects stemming from the successful treatment of Ewing’s Sarcoma as a child in the late 1970’s. I write because I am fortunate to be...
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In April, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) held a free education event on cancer called Progress and Promise Against Cancer in Washington, D.C. Surrounded by experts in cancer research, Kim Hall Jackson shared her patient story. One evening in 2008, Jackson, an event planner, was running the mayor’s inaugural event in...
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Blood, your own private sea, moves through your body because of your powerful, pumping heart. Through blood, every cell in your body communicates with one another. What do you know about this special fluid? Your blood is not just fluid. There are four components to your blood: plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. The liquid...
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“I am 24 years old. Last year on January 15th 2016, I was diagnosed with Stage 2A Classical Nodular Sclerosing Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. I had 12 cycles of ABVD chemotherapy over 6 months and went into complete remission on August 8th, 2016. A few weeks before my wedding, on November 4th 2016 I had my first follow up CT scan which showed enlarged...
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“Family and friends can be great sources of support but truth be told, no one can ever really know what you are going through other than those who have been there themselves….” ~Rachele Chaar Ghosn For Rachele Chaar Ghosn, a 24-year-old woman with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, finding others going through treatment for Hodgkins was paramount....
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Recently published, another research article about the benefits of chocolate! In this case, the Danish are following a large group of people, ages 50 to 64 over a number of years to find out how their consumption of chocolate affects their health. In this study, they looked at atrial fibrillation, a condition in which the upper chambers of your heart...
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We don’t think about them but our bones give our bodies, our internal organs and our muscles, structure and protection. Your skeleton is the birthplace of blood cells. And it store minerals that are essential to life. What Mom Never Told You About Osteoporosis! is a post that describes the composition of bones. Here is a cross section of a...
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In July 2015, we published a post called Patients Included In Research: Studying Cancer by Mutation Not Organ. In that post, we shared the goal that cancers would be treated not by the site of origin, but rather by their genetic features. Achieving this goal is closer than you think! This week the FDA announced accelerated approval** of a...
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Did you know that May 20th is International Clinical Trials Day. It commemorates the first “clinical trial” by James Lind, a Scottish surgeon in 1747. In trying to figure out what caused scurvy, a disease characterized by loss of teeth, bleeding gums and hemorrhaging, he conducted experiments. Twelve men with scurvy were divided into...
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Hearing this refrain, “I’m fine, I’m fine, really, I’m fine” at the end of a telephone line from a dear family member who had cancer nearly drove me crazy. I knew that she wasn’t fine. Reflecting back, I realize that I may have been asking the wrong question or saying the wrong things. It is tough to know what to say...
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In a previous post, Why do we sleep? we puzzled through the purpose of sleep for our bodies. In a recent TED talk, neuroscientist Lisa Genova (see her talk below) connects the dots explaining how good sleep clears out the toxic amyloids that are associated with Alzheimer’s. (learn more about Alzheimer’s here) “In slow-wave deep sleep, our...
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We are adding to the list of respite opportunities that are available for adults with cancer. In addition to a couple of programs like the ones featured in Free Vacations for Adults affected by Cancer, there are a few foundations for adults with cancer that are much like the well-known Make-A-Wish Foundation (for children) which provide support for...
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